Pieces of the Sun and Moon: Book Two
by Silver Gauntlet
Summary: The epic sequel ...


Pieces of the Sun and Moon: Book Two  
--------------------------------------  
  
"Link, stop moving! I can't paint a heroic portrait if the   
hero won't be still." Princess Zelda sighed, smearing strokes of color   
with sharp precision onto the flat surface of the canvas. Link   
grumbled. He was frozen in a dramatic pose of a great knight,   
leaning on his sword and one knee and gazing off into the distance.   
It was uncomfortable after an hour or so, Link thought with a groan.   
  
"Are you almost done?" He enquired, his calf muscles stiffening .   
  
"Almost...There we are. All done, let the paint dry!" Setting down   
the brush and palat , Zelda smiled in satisfaction. "You can move now."   
Exhaling a grateful breath, Link rolled his shoulders and stretched like a   
sleepy cat. The portrait was excellent, if not a bit extravengent for Link.   
He never really thought of himself as the poised, mannered knightly type,   
but more of a rough-and-tumble, adventuresome thrill seeker.   
The Link reflected in the painting could pass for royalty. "You like it?   
It's how I see you, as the noblest knight." Zelda looked up into his face   
with wide,   
almost shy eyes.   
  
"Lovely." He winked, kissing her on the forehead and playing idly with her   
braid. Zelda beamed. It had been two months since the fated party where the couple   
had confessed their feelings for one another. Now, thanks to Impa, nearly every inhabitant   
in Hyule knew the story of the young princess and the knight's love though it was   
often exaggerated to great lengths as some fairy tales usually are. Peace had fallen   
upon Hyrule like a thick dusting of frost. None of the usual local rabble had caused   
trouble and not a single villager was attacked or harassed by roaming monsters since   
the day the Moblins attempted to kidnap Zelda. It was wonderful yet disconcerting at   
the same time. The knights and guards remained on their tip toes, ready to face any   
danger that might try to catch the Castle unaware. The lack of sword play and battle left   
Link a nervous wreck. He paced the castle grounds at night unable to sleep. An iced   
feeling of forboding gripped at his heart when he stared off into the pitch black smudge   
of vast land beyond the castle walls. He could feel the unbalance of the land, his senses   
shouting something was wrong. Very wrong.   
  
-That Evening-  
  
"As I was saying...ahem...uh...yes...What was I saying?" the King's brow wrinkled   
in thought as his fingers fiercely tapped the tabletop. Link, Impa, Zelda, and the King were   
seated at a magnficently long, rectangular banquet table eating a deliciously prepared dinner   
in the dinning hall. His question was greeted with akward silence. The atmopshere at the   
table was strained.  
.   
"Please excuse me." Princess Zelda stood and pushed in her chair. "I'm not   
hungry." She turned her back and exited the room. Forsaking manners, Link threw his   
fork and napkin onto the table and ran after her retreating form. Impa and the King were   
surprised but said nothing.   
  
"Zelda... ... ... Zelda! What's the matter? Talk to me? Do you feel it too?" he   
grabbed her shoulder as if it was the last shred of salvation. Her large, liquid sapphire   
eyes gleamed in fright and unshed tears. "Or am I the only one who suffers from this feeling?"   
Closing her eyes, Zelda bowed her head.   
  
"It's more than a feeling, Link. It was another life ... A different time... Another you   
and me..." she rambled, tossing her head from side to side in fitful denial. "This-this isn't how   
anything happened the first time. Everything changed for the better. Did it change... or are   
we destined to the same ordeal once more?" Pale and ashen, she pressed the back of her   
hand to her forehead. Link was speechless.  
  
"What are you talking about, Zelda?" In tender comfort he brushed his fingertips   
across her jawbone and through her loose hair. She was scaring him. Just recently she   
began to lapse into occasional fits of babble, murmuring nonsense only she could understand.   
The fairies believed Zelda was a bearer of the mark of the triforce and blessed with   
certain magic that, to Link and Zelda, was terrifying. He held her in his arms and   
began humming the soothing melody of the lullaby which calmed her when she was a   
small child. His voice was , but Zelda's fit uncoiled and she relaxed.   
  
"Link... Do you ever have dreams where things are different than what they   
really are? People, places?" she asked quietly, her voice glazed with sadness.   
  
"Sometimes, but they are just dreams. Nothing to be afraid about, why? Have you   
been having nightmares lately"? he replied just as softly. She nodded.   
  
"They are more than nightmares. They are glimpses into--into the past. A   
different one I think. In the nighmares I can feel a powerful evil and the death and   
destruction that followed in its wake. I see you and me in a completely different world,   
a world where our love didn't work out. But somehow that life never existed Link. Like   
pages in a book torn out and re-written with a new plot and characters." Unable to look   
Link in the eyes, Zelda pressed her hot cheek against his chest and let him soothe her fears.   
"And it's about to happen all over again, Link. We both can feel it. But what will happen   
this time? ". Secretly Link had fears of his own needing answered..   
  
"Uh...um...Well maybe we're just over reacting to the stress we've been under   
lately. All this peace is making my fingers itch." Link laughed, flexing the  
lean digits of his left hand--his sword hand--hoping Zelda would react to the light humor.   
She didn't.  
  
"I don't know, Link. Maybe it *is* the stress or possibly the new magic   
Impa is teaching me. But there is nothing wrong with peace and quiet!" she sighed,   
giving him a watery smile. "I guess all I need is a good night's sleep...I'll have Impa   
bring something to help me sleep peacefully." Yawning, it was a task for Zelda to   
keep her eyelids from closing. She was exhausted. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the   
morning." she kissed his cheek, turned, and walked away. This time, Link didn't follow.  
  
Roaming about the courtyard of the Castle like a man possessed, Link's mind   
was caught in a restless daze of thoughts and questions. He stared numbly at the pitch-  
black expanse of land beyond the castle gates. Riding or walking in the late hours of   
evening usually calmed his sensitive nerves. A crescent sliver of a moon smiled over the   
top blossomed branches of trees Link couldn't name. But his body refused to relax.   
He idly tightened the buckles of his leather Kokiri boots. It was   
going to be a long walk ...  
  
Princess Zelda paced by her chamber window, tightly grasping her small hands.  
  
"Impa, I'm worried. Goddesses forgive me, but I fear the Triforce is in danger.   
We can not let it fall into the wrong hands no matter how well we think we can protect it." Her   
voice was a mere whisper. She straightened her posture, dispelling the weight of her fears.   
"Divide the sacred Triforce into three sections. Give the pieces off Eneri, Ideboh, and   
Saille--the fairies of light--and have them hide the pieces in the locations I have selected."   
Zelda hugged Impa as if it would be the last.   
  
"Yes, Princess." the Sheikah woman nodded and left.  
  
""If I remain here the entire castle will be in danger...Link..." Zelda gathered   
a sachel and placed a small crossbow, blanket, bottle of Ultimate Potion, and a pouch   
of deku nuts inside. Wrapping a hooded cloak over her small shoulders, she gently threw   
back the hood and removed the crown resting on her royal head. The gold was masterfully c  
rafted, the rubies cut to perfection. It was beautiful but not made be worn on such a journey.   
She gently placed it on the bureau next to a small scattering of rose petals. **So they know I   
left of my own will** she replacedd the crown with a lighter, more simple head piece that   
draped her pale forehead with the golden emblem of the Triforce. In the stables she briddled   
Magnus, her bay stallion. Lovingly she patted his creamy beige coat and mounted his ornate   
silver and onyx saddle. "Nayru, keep them safe from harm!" she whispered, riding away like   
a phantom.   
  
  
------  
  
Craddled by infinite darkness, tortured breaths heaved from the lungs of a forsaken   
soul, a man tormented. It was the only sound echoing in agitated repetition through the   
dead silence of emptiness surrounding him.   
  
"Cursed cursed cursed..." his words stacattoed and angry rhythm. Gannon's   
crimson eyes glowed like pools of liquid fire. When sealed for an eternity in the Sacred Realm,   
twenty one years seemed a batting of an eyelash in comparison. Tweny one years to fester in   
rage. To plot revenge. The Triforce of Power had been a blessing upon him from the Goddess   
Din, but now it rested in the protection off Hyrulse's royal family. Obtaining the power of the   
Triforce seduced his mind. He would take the Triforce in its entirety. "My powers are growing   
stronger each passing moment. Some of the old Triforce's power is still in me. In my blood!   
This time I WILL win and all will suffer! Woe to the forces of light..." his laugh bordered   
maddness.  
  
  
  
  
"Get up, sleepy boy." A lilting little voice chorused in Link's ears. Caught in limbo   
between sleep and awake, Link mumbled jibberish words. "Get UP!" Jolting upright, Link   
found himself stretched out upon abandoned stone steps near the ivy covered side enterance   
into the castle--alone. **I must be hearing things** he shrugged his shoulders of any   
reminders of stiffness. The first shy hint of daylight rose through a sky of aqua and violet clouds.   
Dawn was breaking!   
  
"Link, how can you sit there at a time like this? You doze off in all the wrong places."   
A flitting flicker of blue light beat her tiny wings and flew from her resting place on Link's   
shoulder.   
  
"Do I know you? How come you know my name?" he questioned cautiously.  
  
"Know me? I'm Navi! We've shared the greatest adventures in history. I was by   
your side when you battled the dark force's most evil monsters, defeated the scourges of   
Hyrule, and fell Gannon with the last fatal blow from the Master Sword!" Navi zig zagged   
to and fro, renacting the story. "Brave Link, most courageous of all knights--"  
  
"Woah! Gannon?! Dark forces? I think you have the wrong guy, Navi. I'm just   
an average knight. More average than the average of average in fact..."  
  
"Sir Link! Sir Link!" a young scrapper of a stableboy tripped as he fled across   
the lawn toward Link. "Kakariko Village is under attack by a small group of Wolfos   
and Lizalfos. The village is burning! C'mon, hurry!" the boy waved frantially and   
scampered to the stables, Link jogged faithfully behind.   
  
"Hey!" Navi called, angry to be forgotten already.  
  
Equipped with his Fairy bow, a sword light enough to be used singlehandedly,   
a shiled, and freah quiver of arrows, Link nudged his heels into Epona's sides and went   
thundering off into the distance.  
  
  
  
  
The village was in shambles of chaos. A pack of seventy Wolfos assailed the   
outnumbered but valiant army of Hylian knights and Gorons. Flames licked at the   
blackened barns and houses. Cinder, soot, and smoke billowed and sparked into the sky l  
ike a Phoenix rising from the ashes of death. The fire spread, eating nearly all of the town's   
well water reserves. Swords clashed, beasts shreiked, men shouted words that didn't reach   
Link.   
  
"Hooo-haah-Atoooah!" Link's battle cry pierced the deafeninig din. Adrenaline   
flowed in his veins like a raging river current, his eyes resembled blue chips of ice.   
A pale, intense glow lit his face reflecting the thrilling feeling only select seekers felt.   
Epona's fleeting hooves ripped chunks of turf from the ground, kicking them up behind   
her as she sped to the center of the battle.   
  
"You always did leap before you looked.." Navi, safely tucked in Epona's saddlebag,   
commented. Did he understand any of his past? He appeared startled when she rambles   
about his heroics... "It was another life altogether!" she groaned,"Of course he wouldn't...  
couldn't remember. After Ganon was defeated, everything was reset without Ganon's   
existence... Stupid fairy!" she wailed.   
  
But Link's thoughts were elsewhere. Swinging his sword from the sheath with show   
of panache, he sliced at a Wolfos. The creature howled in anguish before erupting into a   
green flash of flames. It was reduced to a pile of gray powdery dust. Four more Wolfos   
were slain by Link's blade the same way. It was just like practice training, Link smirked.   
  
A shrill shreik of fright struck a chord above all the commotion. A small child   
was trapped between a burning hut and a row of three snarling, growling Wolfos.   
Terrified, fat tears rolled down the toddler's red, flushed cheeks.  
  
"Lo gowien dre-ta!" Epona's ears perked at the Kokirian command as Link   
resheathed his weapon and pulled the reins harshly to the left, urging Epona to a full gallop.   
The mare rammed into the line of Wolfos. Link took the precious seconds of confusion to   
sling his body precariously from the side of the saddle, scooping up the toddler using one   
arm. He was now open and vulnerable to attack. Epona neighed as if voicing her own   
worry.   
  
"Brother Link, hand me the child!" T'ven, a giant of a Goron, called and gingerly   
took the child into the protection of his over-sized hands and fled for the sanctuary of the   
graveyard whhere secret hiding places could be found under false gravestones.  
  
"What to do what to do what to do ..." Came Link's chant of frustration. On one   
side of the dilema the village would soon burn down if action wasn't taken, the supply of   
well water was drained to the dregs. The small group of Gorons designated as firefighters   
were out of ideas as to solve the problem. Yet, the knights and other Gorons fought the   
army of Wolfos without complictions. Did they really need his aide?  
  
"Hey! Play the song I hum... Use this!" Navi floated from the saddlebag like a   
weightless blue bubble. "The magic is fading...I think it can handle a rain spell..." A worn   
blue ocarina that had seen better days dropped from a sprinkling of brilliant sparkles into   
Link's open hands. Every sound but the calming melody of Navi hummed was blocked out,   
binding Link in an ethereal trance. The songe effected him as if a feather brushed the curve   
of his spine. Link put the instrument to his lips and fidgeted the different notes until at last he   
played the correct melody. A sunshine yellow aura of magic illuminated Link's body as the   
sky became overcast, and spilled forth torents of refreshing rain. To his amazement the cool   
water extinguished the flames. Steam rose from the blackened wood in a fog of dense vapor.   
  
  
  
The celebration was short lived. Suddenly the forest spoke with the howls of twenty   
Wolfos racing to the rescure of the losing pack followed by a cluster of what Link estimated   
to be forty Lizalfos. The massive man-like reptiles snapped their strong jaws lined with rows   
flesh-tearing teeth. Their sleek, scaly bodies were patched with chaini metal armor, making   
them a deadly ffoe. Unlike the primitive Wolfos, Lizalfos had the ability to think and plan   
using a brain holding the mental compacity of a young child. Their lack of intelligence dulled   
in comparison to their brutal, animalistic tactics. They fought to the death and nothing less.   
  
Although Link was freezing and soaked from rain water, a hot wave of apprehension   
warmed his body. The Lizalfos never ran. Instead they leapt through the forest, bounding to   
join the battle. Under normal circumstances the two species of wolves and reptiles could not   
share the same forest let alone unite to for a unified army... Why are they fighting on the same   
side? It didn't make sense.  
  
"Stand your ground, men! They're dumb, but quick!" Link bellowed in a steady   
voice. The knights and Gorons lacked leadership, so he did his best to still the stirring panic.   
"Be careful, they like to lunge!". The attack was swift and fierce. Pulling back the taut bowsting   
of his Fairy bow, Link aimed and caught a reptile through the heart. Its ear splitting squeals of   
pain etched in Link's mind. It was a sound he would never forget. Since Link was the first to   
draw blood two Lizalfos focused their revenge upon Link, still riding Epona. Startled, the   
mare bucked and pawed her front hooves angrily in the air at the offenders. Link was taken   
unaware and thrown from the saddle. His body tumbled to meet the moist ground. He was   
physically and mentally dazed, but saw Epona trampling one of the Lizalfos to death with her   
iron-shoed hooves. "Good girl." Link mumbled, jumping to his feet. His sword made a smooth   
whisper of metal on leather as it arched skillfully from the sheath. He armed his shield, his   
temples throbbing with adrenailine laced blood.   
  
The Lizalfos regarded Link with demonic slited yellow eyes. Like a bird, its slim   
head bobbed forward and tilted to the side. Link didn't let his guard down for a second,   
and held his shield firmly when the reptile pounced. Its claws grated against the metal of the   
shield as it swung its sword at Link wildly. Link hopped onto the sturdy stone rim of the   
village well. The edge was slippery, and Link had to bend his knees to keep his balance.   
  
The Lizalfos leapt and charged againt. This time Link was quicker. Using his shield   
as a blocker, he knocked the creature's sword from its clawed, green hand, and thrust his   
sword in its unguarded side. Twitching in agony, the Lizalfos clawed savagely at Link,   
whipping its muscular tail.A large hand baring five talons caught the front of Link's thick tunic,   
causing the knight to slip as the material shredded. Both man and lizard were swallowed by   
the murky, hollow recess of the well. Death chased their heels.  
  
  
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
  
The Forest Temple, once maginificent, lay in crumbling neglect. The tawny marble   
walls were cracked in places, the corners collected loose dirt and gossamer spider webs.   
Last night, it had been a dangerous journey to the peaceful temple. Her knowledge of the   
Lost Woods was vital as Zelda navigated through the intricte maze of grottos and multiple   
passageways. The trick was following the sweet fragrance and swirls of pink cherry blossoms   
blowing from the Temple. The mystical petals lit the proper path to follow. Magnus had   
trotted with confidence past the tall hedge maze, his ears keen and alert for any suspicious   
noises.   
  
Zelda, seated on a blanket and resting near a warm torch, strummed her fingers   
along the golden strings of her small, delicate golden harp. The meldoy held bittersweet   
memories. Unlike Link, she remember bits and pieces of a time when Ganondorf terrorized   
the land. But her memories were hazy, like jumbled pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. One memory   
was as certain as the sun sets.   
  
The Bolero of Fire.   
  
The passionate ballad expressed her unspoken love for Link. She loved him then   
also. But many things were different. Zelda had been naive, her actions cost Link seven   
years of his life...Only to send him on a one man queat against the minions of darkness.   
Guile cluthed her throat. How foolish she had been in believing she could stop Ganondorf   
by herself. She now doubted her own powers and strength. Would she hurt Link again?   
Would she lose him once more? Zelda was ninteen years old, but posessed the wisdom of a   
sage. Ganondorf was coming to Hyrule... Soon, if not already ...  
  
  
  
"Find the Princess NOW, you fools!!!" Ganon roared. A crackling sphere of   
dark energy formed around his fist and he hurled it at a scampering Stalfos. "NOW!" The   
gruff snarl reverberated along the high ceiling coridors of the Zoran palace. King Zora was   
bound and thrown into Lord Jabu Jabu's mouth--trapped with no chance of escape. The   
arrival of Ganon hadn't come with a flourish of trumpets or fireworks. He crept into Hyrule   
like a crickt through tall grass. Five of the Sages were captured minus Impa and the jewel   
of the collection-Princess Zelda. Her powers had grown, but the opponent which worried   
him most was Link. Just hearing the name caused his blood to boil and his temper to simmer.   
Link...The thorn in his side. Payback was now at hand.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
Fragments of broken memories tickled Link's subconcious like prism shards of   
splintered mirror glass. He was trapped in a feverish, fitful sleep where nightmares lurked   
in the shadows. These nightmares were reality, a past that never was yet existed as if in a   
dream. An entire seventeen years of time and events were wiped clean of Ganon's   
malevolent conquest of Hyrule so a new, hopeful peace could be born. It was the   
Goddesses way of restoring the world for the better. He finally understood Navi's dramatic   
speech. The monsters ... The evil.. The Master Sword. The ocarina! Link's body   
shuddered although his mind remained in unconciousness. Link, with the help of the Sages,   
had defeated Ganondorf. But not all storied have happy endings. Link had fallen madly in   
love with Zelda, a boy too immature to understand and deal with the feelings ...  
  
Link blinked, his glassy eyes adjusing to the lack of light in the . Disoriented,   
Link vaguely realized he was alive, and that his bruised body was sprawled at the bottom   
of a solid stone well holding a couple inches of rainwater. Soaking wet and shivering, he   
leaned forward into a sitting position. The Lizalfos that had broen his fall broke it's neck   
in the fall. Death came too close for comfort. As Link jerked away from the body it   
crumbled to dust as all creatures from the Dark Realm did when they ceased to exist.   
Nausea gurgled his stomach., how long had he been unconcious? Time seemed to go at   
a slower rate in the dream world than reality. A few minutes could easily turn into passing   
hours...   
  
Link dragged slowly to his feet, and brushed his fingers along the cold, damp   
walls in search of the rough grooves carved into the stone like a ladder. Like a child   
just learning to walk. he inched up the makeshift ladder one rung at a time until he reached   
the surface. A cool, soothing breeze lifted his loosely hanging hair, spreading the strands   
to the breeze. Link realized his hooded cap was missing as he surveyed the deserted village.   
  
"This just isn't my day..." he grumbled, pains spasms knifing through his abdomen.   
Where did everyone go? Assuming that the knights and Gorons had won, Link expected a   
search party to come looking for him. Leaving dead or injured knights behind wasn't standard   
procedure, so why had'nt anyone seen him plummet into the well and come to his aide?   
Shrugging, Link began to walk in the direction of the castle, carefully taking his time.   
Without Epona's speed the castle appeared impossibly faar away. Every step Link took   
intensified his pain. He slumped on the spongey rain-absorbed ground, fearing he would   
soon lose conciousness again. The castle...Zelda... He dug his fingers into the stringy grass,   
his forehead pressed against the muddy earth. He didn't hace the strength to move. "Zelda,   
forgive me! I tried..." he rambled as his eyes lost the ability to focus. "Zelda..." Link collapsed   
as the warm breath of nothingness carried him to a place free of pain and worry.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
  
From outside the temple Magnus whinnied, catching Zelda's attention. She took the  
crossbow from the satchel at her side and waited silently. Was it a monster? Or one of   
Ganon's troops? He bit her lip to keep from shouting.   
  
"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda! Are you here?!" A trio of musical voices chorused.   
It was the three light fairies--Eneri, Ideboh, and Saille. Eneri, the fairy of caring, was a   
passionate little twinkle of red light. A sparkling orange fairy, Ideboh was the fairy which   
inspired hope when spirits were bleak. Saille, a shy glimmer of white, was the fairy that   
brought peaceful serenity wherever she went. Zelda cautiously left the safety of the Temple.   
The three fairies fluttered around Magnus, who lazily swished his glossy tail.   
  
"Princess! You are safe!" Eneri exclaimed, twitting her tiny wings. Ideboh nodded.  
  
"I told you she was alright." he stated reassuringly.   
  
"Zelda, it is terrible back at the castle. Everything is in dischord. A new evil invaded   
and already the Geurudo and Zoran Kingdoms have fallen..." Eneri's voice dropped to a softer   
tone. "There is more ...Sir Link is missing. It's believed he was killed during the seige on   
Kakariko Village..."  
  
"No!" came Zelda's gasped sob. She weakly dropped onto her knees. "Oh Link..."   
Her whisper was of regret and sorrow. Her one and only love was gone, and so was Hyrule's   
chance of defeating Ganondorf. She didn't get to say goodbye or even tell him she loved him   
one last time... How cruel fate was! She cried quietly, too distraught for tears or screams.   
"Ganon will not win, I swear it. As long the Triforce is hidden from his reach we will still have   
a chance of winning... I cannot protect my people from the oncoming evil, but I will do my   
best to ease the blow..." Concentrating every ounce of magic in her body, Zelda created   
crystalline veils of light which encased her body like a crycalis. A gold filagree base adorned   
with the Trifoce symbol appeared under her feet, raising her inches from the ground.   
  
"Zelda, no!" Eneri shreiked, but it came to late. Zelda's fair head was bowed solemly,   
her hhands clasped together as if praying. She was a still as a staue encased in the prism of   
her own making. No evil could so much as scratch the smooth, glassy surface.  
  
"Oh my goodness..." Saille mournfully pressed her tiny hands against the flat prism.   
The three fairies panicked.   
  
"We have to find Link! He can't be missing if we haven't even looked yet...   
Come on." Ideboh hovered impatiently.   
  
"But Zelda--"  
  
"She did this for a reason, Eneri. Zelda knows things no one else can understand.   
If we *do* find Link...alive... we must keep Zelda's condition a secret until the time is right.   
The fate of Hyrule is resting on the shoulders of Link and Zelda, so you can see why I am   
worried." a wealth of knowledge shimmered from the depths of Saille's silver eyes.   
"Agreed?"   
  
"Yes." The two fairies nodded.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
"Lord Ganondorf! We have a surprise for you." a Stalfos laughed, using its limited   
vocabuluary. Annoyed, Ganon pounded the arm rest of his red velvet throne.  
  
"I don't like surprises. Not now especially. What is it?" the self-crowned   
Geurudo king snapped, his temper rising. Taking control of the Desert Collasus was   
easier than he'd expected. Being that only one male Geurudo was born every hundred   
years, Ganon was welcomed with open arms. Ganon sighed melodramatically. Conquering   
Hyrule wasn't proving to be difficult. It was a joke. Most of the rebelling forces fled at the   
sight of the massive army of Stalfos, Lizalfos, and Wolfos. It wasn't even the strongest or   
deadliest army asembled from his legions of darkness. The defeated pooled their fighters   
at Hyrule Castle--a team of the greatest warriors and warrioresses in all the land. But their   
leadership was pathetic. Ganon laughed. The evil man actually smiled.   
  
"What is the surprise?"  
  
"Epona, Link's horse!" Three Stalfos tugged tthe angry mare into the throne room.   
She bucked and kicked I protest, buy was held to tight to fight her way free.   
  
"Epona! I ask you to find Link and you bring me his HORSE?!" Ganon fumed,   
his large nostrils flaring.The skeletons squirmed.   
  
"No! Yes... This is all we found, King Ganon." A Stalfos more intelligent that most   
spoke, climbing the stairs ascending to the throne. It clutched a ragged green cloth caked   
with dried blood--human blood. "The hood of Sir Link, Your Highness. It was found beside   
a broken Fairy bow also belonging to Link..." The creature's voice was husky and deep like   
the growl of a wild animal.   
  
"Did any of you see him die? Why haven't you brought a body..."  
  
"Yes, a Lizalfos slashed the knight's stomach and they both fell to their deaths.   
This is all the proof we could get before we were forced from the village." The Stalfos bent   
down on one knee and presented the items for Ganon's inspection. Yes, indeed both items   
belonged to Link. A cold rage seized Ganon.  
  
"I wanted to kill him myself! To feel the life drain out of his body... My sword spilling   
his blood as he spilled mine!" the evil king slapped the cap and bow pieces from the Stalfos's   
hands. "I hoped for a worthy opponent. It is more honorable to fight a more powerful force   
and lose than to defeat and enemy much weaker..." His laugh hindered upon dementia.   
"Get that ...animal out of my throne room! Set it free in the desert. Heat, dehydration, or   
quicksand should soon finish it off." he dismissed Epona with a wave of his hand. "Prepare   
the army! Tell the General we will be attacking at dawn. He'll be delighted the battle is   
coming sooner than expected..."  
  
  
  
----------------------------  
  
Barely lifting is face from the ground, Link noticed the sky was an odd tint of   
yellowish gray, the omen of an approaching storm. Link knew better than to suspect it was   
normal. He lay flat on his stomach, becoming part of the damp grass beneath him. The   
wind gained momentum, causing the pine trees around the village to sway back and forth.   
They spoke to him. Coaxing him too stand. Him mind was willing but his body was too   
weak. Steel bands of pain compressed his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Link made   
a muffled sound in the back of his parched throat. He should have been more careful!   
Damn his wrecklessness, he grimaced. He was the hero, and heroes don't end up partially   
dead in the middle of a village half in ruin.   
  
Gritting his teeth, Link planted his palms firmly onto the ground, and locked his   
elbows straight. He pushed himself slowly until he rested on his knees. Ignoring the aches   
and burning protest of his body, Link stood on two feet. His knees wobbled a little bit, but he   
could walk inching forward taking small steps. Slick mud streaked his face like warpaint, and   
twigs and leaves matted his snarled hair. The front of his tunic boasted three long slash marks   
where the Lizalfos's claws ripped through the material into his bleeding flesh. **Every time I   
faint I seem to wake up in worse shape** Link couldn't help but smirk. He knew he had to   
reach a fairy fountain soon or he would fall asleep and never awaken. Not a knight to dwell   
on negative thoughts, Link searched his belt for any vials or bottled healing fairirs. He found   
nothing but the worn ocarina and an empty pouch of magic powder. Could the ocarina help   
him now? Navi told him the relic's magi was fading, but did it have and spunk left? He shook   
it in his hand, expecting to hear a rattle. **Come on, Lin. You've got to remember a song   
that can help... Anything?** he put the ocarina to his cold lips, and blew slowly, bringing the   
notes and pitches to life. Muscle memory kicked in, his fingers moved before his brain could   
rationalize it. Epona's song! The horse didn't answer the summon. Instead, a cow mooed in   
a nearby field, and Link closed his eyes to thank his luck. The cows of Hyrule produced milk   
enriched with healing powers if they were in the right mood...If serenading a cow was all it took   
for Link to regain some color in his cheeks he would gladly oblige.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
  
"Let me out! I' can't get the flap open..." Navi called. Epona's saddlebag writhed   
and twisted as the fairy struggled for freedom. She overheard Ganon's plans and had to reach   
Hyrule Castle to warn Princess Zelda and Link. "Ugh!" she gave an unladylike grunt, using   
all of her strength to push at the bag's flap. Success! But where was the Castle? Or anything.   
A blazing white sun beat down upon crippling hot sand surrounding them as far as the eye   
could see. The heat wrapped around Navi like a suffocating cocoon. This wasn't a good sign.   
"Stay calm, Epona." Navi whispered, vigorously fanning her wings near Epona's face. The   
blue sparkles of fairy dust trailing after Navi felt cool. It was the effect of a slight ice spell Navi   
cast for the mare's benefit. "You can smell water right? Lead the way!"   
  
In response Epona lifted her muzzled at an angle to sniff the air, and swished her tail   
smugly before trotting off in a direction Navi never would have chosen.   
  
"Onward, troops." Navi quipped, following behind.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
  
"Will the Princess be okay? She will be safe by herself, right?" the three light fairies   
roamed Hyrule in search of Link, moving at speeds faster than any airborne arrow. Eneri   
began to doubt their effectiviness. "Well?" she questioned.   
  
"We did what had to be done. Link isn't there to protect her, and she knew what   
she was doing. Trust me." Ideboh reassured as the trio wove past leaves and branches.  
  
"Look! There he is!" Saille exclaimed. Link, his back hunched, was using his sword   
as a support as he trudged along a forest path leading to Hyrule Castle. He looked dreadful,   
but he was alive. That was all that mattered.   
  
"Link!" The fairies sang joyously, circling the weary knight. His face grew pale.   
  
"You startled me. I don't think I'm in one piece just yet..." He murmured, exhaling   
sharply through his nose.   
  
"You're alive!" Ideboh beamed.  
  
"Yes, and very happy to be. Were you expecting otherwise?"  
  
"Ye-er-no. We weren't sure." Eneri blushed, glowing a deeper shade of red.   
  
"We must return to the Castle. Please" Saille beseeched. Link's chin dropped,   
his eyes cast down on his boots.   
  
"I need to rest. I can't--" Link protested.  
  
"Shhh. Close your eyes and we'll take care of everything." Ideboh coaxed.   
Obediently Link did as he was told. The familliar tingling sensation of fairy magic tingled   
from is forehead to his toes.  
  
----------------------------  
  
  
Link felt as if his muscles were molding to the soft bed like candlewax. It felt  
marvelous to rest and relax.  
  
"Well look what the Poes dragged in. It's a wonder you're still alive. Any many less   
stubborn would've been a gonner." the amused chuckle came from Impa, seated at a bedside   
vigil. "You know, I've been bandaging your scrapes and bruises ever since you were a knee   
high half pint. I thought by now you'd have the sense to stay out of trouble."   
  
"Ha! You don't realize my flair for getting injured. Only cowards can leave a battlefield   
unscathed. I'm only human." Link retorted. He sat up and propped his back against the   
head board, admiring the soft, white badgages wrapped around his chest where the Lizalfos   
had clawed. "It's either that or I'm not a good fighter..." Link joked, the silver haired woman   
laughed.   
  
"You are just young, Link. Disciplined but lacking fighting experience." She patted his   
arm affectionatly. Link raised an eyebrow.   
  
**What? Defeating Ganon the first time was a bowl of cherries?"  
  
"...but keep you chin up. I have a feeling--oh never mind. Rest, Link. Most of your   
injuries were healed with an Ultimate Potion and several spells from the fountain fairies...   
You're lucky we like you so much" Impa grinned, pouring Link a cup of water. He gulped   
the drink in two swallows.  
  
"Where is Zelda?"Link asked. Impa's face fell into a mask void of emotion.  
  
"She's sleeping--"   
  
"No she isn't. Don't lie to me! Where is she? Is she hurt?" Link struggled to sit   
straighter, twisting in the bedsheets.   
  
"I can't say, Link." Impa replied cooly.  
  
"Why not!?" he shouted, angered at how she could keep secrets from him.   
"Doesn't she want to see me? " his voice cracked.  
  
"She does!" the trio of light fairies burst into the room.   
  
"Impa, we will lead him to Zelda." Ideboh stated meekly. Impa nodded.   
  
"Thank you, at least somebody is willing to tell me what is going on here." Link   
commented dryly as he poked his head and arms through a pressed light blue tunic, pulling   
it over his silver long sleeved undershirt and leggings. He laced and tied the new pair of black   
leather boots waiting beside the edge of the bed. Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, Link   
noticed his face was scrubbed clean. His hair was also washed and pulled into a thick braid   
that brushed his elbows. Din's fire, it felt so good to be clean. He was physically and mentally   
restored too top form. Smirking, he turned from the mirror, picked his sword and sheath from   
thhe back of a chair, and followed the three fairies from the room.  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Link, but Epona is missing. "Saille cringed at Link's crestfallen expression...   
Four horses occupied the stables, but none was the loyl mare Link trusted and loved like a   
friend. "Take Magnus instead." Seated on Link's shoulder, Saille replied. Link frowned.   
  
"Why isn't he with Zelda? She can't go walking around Hyrule... Nothing makes sense."   
He mused,  
  
"Take Magnus and shush. Stop asking so many questions." The orange fairy yawned.   
  
No twinkling stars or any slight trace of a moon could be seen. It was as if a bottle of   
indigo ink smeared across the sky, blotting out the heavens. The only sources of light came   
from the three luminous orbs of white, red, and orange leading Link down a secluded path.   
He recognized it as a short cut to the Lost Woods. The low sounds of evening were drowned   
out by the hushed hiss of his breathing. Odd, no matter how close he came to greeting Death   
that day he had never stopped breathing. Even when he was lost to the thros of unconciousness. It was donw without thought--an automatic funtion--yet it was a cycle crutial to life.   
  
They traveled through the forest without incident. A prickle of forboding piched his elfin   
ears as the fairies stopped to light a circle of torches hammered into the ground.   
  
"Zelda." his voice carried off in the breeze, stealing the sound and his breath.   
"How...did this happen?" Link kicked a leg over the saddle and gracefully dismounted Magnus,   
his full eyes transfixed on what stood before him. "I-is she dead?" he was distant, his face set   
in unwavering granite..  
  
"No, she thought you were dead, so she placed herself in this...um...there so Ganon   
can't win. She couldn't fight him alone..." Ideboh's wings sagged in distress.  
  
"Fight him alone!? So that is the reason why the Wolfos and Lizafoss fought together   
against us!" Link's blue eyes widened.   
  
"Yes, the Gerudo and Zoran kingdoms were taken, but most of the warriors feld to   
Hyrule Castle. Soon, Ganon will come to confront Zelda and attempt to take the Triforce,   
but we are trying to outsmart him." Eneri added, but Link could only nod. He splayed his   
fingertips over the spot where he could touch Zelda's lips if the crytal wasn't between them,   
desperatle yearning to touch   
her warm skin. To seek comfort.   
  
"Er...We'll give you some time...alone." Ideboh stammered as Saille whisked him and   
Eneri away muttering under her breath about polite manners. Sparking ashes floated from the   
three tourches near Zelda. The forked flames danced like gypsies in the elusive shadows of   
night time--twirling and jumping to an invisible rhythm. Kneeling down on one knee, Link   
bowed his head to comfirm formal loyalty to the Princess.   
  
"For some reason I feel I have failed you. I can't bear to see sorrow on your beautiful   
face. I would sacrifice my life for you, but never my love. The village would have burnt down   
if I hadn't been there to extinguish the fire. A child would be dead... It is too much for me to   
handle! I'm only one man! A knight with only a sword and shield balancing on the line   
between a hero and a failure. One man.... Yet I endured the gauntlet," he whispered a new   
found confidence, "Survived when the fates had other destinies planned..." He was not present   
to help the Gerudo or Zora ward off Ganon's army. It was a fluke that he was injured when   
they needed him. Link's timing for everything was horrible... The incident at Kakariko Village   
mumbled Link, shedding another layer of boyish immaturity to reveal a capable man. He was   
amazed how his world changed in the blink of an eye. How quickly love wilted to despair.   
As much as he pleaded, Zelda did not wake from her sleeping state. Would she ever awaken?   
Rising to his feet, Link pressed his lips against the crystal sheild covering Zelda's lips.   
He sighed tiredly and spread a thick bed roll onto the dry ground, resting his sword and sheath   
within arm's reach. He stretched out his tall frame on the warm blanket. Sleep came   
immediately.   
  
Lost in the shallow lull of sleep, Link dreampt of Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule's past,   
present, and future. Fantasy blended with reality, knowledge melted into confusion. The   
dreams were forgotten instantly when Link opened his clear blue eyes showing no signs of   
worry.  
  
"Good morning. Well, almost... The sun hasn't risen yet." a contented voice yawned.   
Navi! Link did a double take.  
  
"Where have you two been?!" He stared open-mouthed at Epona and the small   
blue fairy. "And how did you find us? It took you this long...".  
  
"We were captured by a bunch of Stalfos and taken to Ganon's temple in the   
Gerudo Desert. He plans to attack Hyrule castle very soon!" Navi glowed brighter.   
"Epona and I were left out in the sand and sun to wander around until...Well, you know.   
But we managed to find our way out." she explained. Like marbles plinking into a porcelain   
vase, relization hit Link. Tension and hunger knotted his stomach. How long would he have   
to wait to confront Ganon? Would the Castle be ready for an attack?   
  
"I can't leave Zelda unguarded, even if she's not going anywhere soon." The blond   
knight brushed his knuckles along the shiny prism. The group was quiet.   
  
"We could shrink her to fairy size and-" Eneri added.  
  
"Oh! Or we could turn her into a charm and put her on a necklace for you to wear!"   
Ideboh joined in.   
  
"Let's hide her in a tangle of ivy vines?" Saille questioned.   
  
"All are good ideas, but I agree with Saille. Sinice Zelda can't really be moved in   
her-uh-condition we have to hide her." Link's nose wrinkled as he scratched his head in   
mock thought.   
  
"Let's see then." The fairies were four multicolored streaks as they circled Zelda,   
leaving trails of shimmers behind them. A infantile green bud sprouted, crept, and curled   
at the base of the prism. The bud grew rapidly in size until it was a large plant, spreading   
its vines like gnarled fingers. Before Link could compliment the fairies the vines completely   
covered Zelda, blending her in with the forest scenery.   
  
"Now let's get to Hyrule Castle." Link affectionatly patted Epona's neck. "Good to   
have you back, friend." he smiled and mounted the saddle. Epona whinnied. "Dawn isn't far   
off-"  
  
"Wait! You have to eat breakfast first. You must be starving." Sounding like a   
nagging mother, Navi placed a purplish red sweet melon in Link's open hands. "Eat!"   
She urged. Nodding, Link sighed.  
  
"I have a battle looming against the forces of darkness to worry about and you are   
making a fuss about breakfast," A golden eyebrow arched in amusement,  
"Thanks."  
  
"I wonder what I did to make Farore so angry she sent me to watch over you..."   
Navi sighed, settling between Epona's ears.  
  
"Ha." Link barely chewed the sweet fruit as he ate hastily. "We're wasting time."   
He held onto the reins of both Magnus and Epona and took off for the Castle. The fairies   
hurried to catch up.  
  
  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Pinhead sized dew drops clung to the moist early morning grass of Hyrule field.   
The open plain was abandoned except for trees and worn foot paths. The songbirds weren't   
singing, which was unusual, Link thought as he surveyed the meadow critically. Blinking,   
Link noticed motion from the corner of his eye. A sea of gray spread from the direction   
of the Gerudo Valley, moving as one body like a of spill oil. Ganon's Army! Army was an   
understatement. The proceeding forces wre the most sinister,evil scum wreched from the   
bowels of the Dark Realm. Link swalloed, his tongue felt too dry for his mouth. The frontline   
marched steadily onward, a mile and a half away from the castle.   
  
"Kinoa!" Link cursed. "Go tell the guards, Impa, someone! Tell them Ganon and his   
army are upon us! And get that drawbridge down, I don't want to be stuck our here to fend   
this army off by myself." Link shouted, sending the three light fairies   
racing.toward the sleeping castle.   
  
There was a maximum of fifteen minutes buffer time before they reach us, Link   
calculated. The horses' hooves clammored over the wooden drawbridge and up along   
the cobble stone lane leading to the open gates. Guards scrambled about like ants caught   
under a hot sun.  
  
"Keep Epona ready for me. Walk her around the courtyard until I return." Link   
dismounted, tossing the reins at the stable boy which first woke him only a day ago. It   
seemed like an eternity.   
  
"Yer, sir!"the boy's voice was steady. Link gave him a thankful smile then turned a  
nd sprinted through the castle doors. Impa, the three fairies, and the King were nowhere to   
be found. Link was told by a royal hand maid that Impa left order for him to collect his   
weapons and join the other knights and fighters in the village square.  
  
"I need a new Fairy bow. Mine was lost when... Let's just say it's gone. Any   
replacements?" Link and Navi searched the cluttered storage room. Inanimate objects   
of forged, twisted metal, wood, and crafted leathers lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Link   
shuddred and took the new bow Navi offered. The room was ransacked and in messy disarray   
from knights in haste to prepare for battle. Link didn't hurry. Choosing his weapons was a   
sacred task done with thought and keen eyes. "This one will do." He agreed, slinging the   
bow over his shoulder, and restocking his quiver of arrows and magic powder. A healing   
fairy was strapped to his belt, kept in a bottle for times of emergency.   
  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
"Brother Link! You're alive!" Brother T'ven gawked at the knight as if he was   
watching a ghost. The giant Goron hesitantly tapped Link's shoulder.   
  
"Yes." Link replied, his eyes scanning the mass of Gerudo, Zora, Gorons, and   
villagers suited and armed for combat. "Who's the leader of this rowdy group? He or she   
will definately have their work cut out for them. There are Iron Knuckles, T'ven. Statuesque   
monster wearing heavy armor and axes this wide." Link raised his arms in a crude show of size.   
The Iron Knuckles could knock a stone pillar to rubble in one sweep of their ax. Despite the   
sudden solemness T'ven smirked.  
  
"You are...the leader." the Goron stammered at Link's amazed expression.   
"The King placed you in charge. We all agree with the choice, General... T'ven snapped a   
sharp salute. General?  
  
"Only if you're my second in command. Get these troops ready to march!" Link smiled   
faintly, his face not betraying the erratic beating of his heart. "For Zelda." he whispered to   
himself, and closed his eyes briefly to plead a prayer to Farore.   
  
"Sir Link,General! The enemy is half a mile away and approaching as I speak," Atrius,   
the Zora's strongest warrior announced, bowing to Link,"The Zora are ready." His cerulean   
eyes   
glistened opalescant as he saluted.   
  
"Yes, as are the Gerudo." Melita, the fiercest Gerudo warrioress bowed and saluted.   
Her fiery red hair was gathered high in a jeweled ponytail, and bright yellow eyeshadow brushed   
her deeply curved eyelids. Link nodded. The role of leader suited him.  
  
"Here is your horse, Sir." The impish stable boy returned Epona to her master.   
Atrius and Melita waited for Link to mount before respectively mounting their own steeds.   
  
  
  
--------------------------------------   
  
Ganon's army was an intimidating sight. His minions, Link estimated, numbered   
fifteen thousand or so lined in neat rows like toy soldiers. Link spotted Lizalfos, Wolfos,   
Armos Knights, Tektites, and the crowing gem-- Iron Knuckles. Link immediately recognised   
the rider on Ganon's right side. Shadow Link. The diabolical doppleganger was a physical   
body of cruelty, hatred, and dementia. He resembled Link except he was a transparent living,   
breathing shadow. A shadow with eyes as red as the hate burning within him.  
  
"Link is alive?! You pathetic FOOLS!!!" Ganon roared, kicking the nearest Stalfos in   
the face. Shadow Link chuckled at the creature's pain.   
  
"Link will be dead soon . I will be sure to see to it personally." the Shadow replied in   
undisguised excitement.   
  
"No!" Ganon protested.  
  
"Lord Ganon, you must first find the Sacred Triforce, Princess Zelda, and her Sheikah   
nursemaid... After I kill Link!" the shadow warrior shouted, and charged the Hylian amry. The   
sudden movement of Shadow Link was the catalyst that sent the wheels of battle turning.   
  
"Fight with honor!" The only spoken words came from Link as he rushed Epona   
forward to greet Shadow Link to-the-death style. The two knights passed each other   
quickly. Skillfully controling his sword, Shadow Link struck out at his opponent. If he couldn't   
stab Link he would push him from his horse. Link absorbed the blow with his Hylian shield,   
and caught the gruesome creature's arm with the end of his blade. Like living skin a large   
gauge waas sliced through the dark matter. Link barely noticed the wound bonding, reforming.   
He was engrossed in channeling his concentration from the battle around him. The armies   
pooled into a solid mass of motion. It was difficult to tell who was fighting who. "Watch out for   
the Iron Knuckles' axes! Take them on in pairs! Distract them then attack fom behind." Link   
hollered , his voice commanded attention.   
  
"We're on it!" T'ven called back as her turned, knocking several Wolfos to the   
ground. Link nodded curtly. His eyes never left Shadow Link. There was no turning back now.   
  
"Y'ah!"A cry burst from Link. Epona's legs stretched farther each stride she took. At colossal speeds the two enemies clashed once again. Link lashed his shield across Shadow Link's face, ramming the dark knight from the saddle. The Shadow recovered, rolling like a barrel then sprining to a fighting stance. The feat was intimidating and impressive. Link didn't hesitate. He pulled and arrow from the quiver, and dipped the arrowhead in the pouch of magic powder at his hip. The arrowhead erupted into a flaming ball of golden light. Squeezing one eye closed, Link drew back the bowstring, and locked aim on his target. The light arrow flew from his fingers straight for the Shadow. Just as the arrow was about to hit its mark, a sphere of black energy darted in front of Shadow Link. Shardae, the shadow fairy, created a shielding web of dark power to protect her master from harm. The arrow fell broken in half.   
  
"Hey! How come you can't do that?" Link's elfin ears twitched as he snorted in disbelief at Navi.   
  
"You don't need my help...Yet." the blue fairy replied. Link made a funny face.   
  
"Weakling! You cannot destroy me. I may resemble you in form, but I am a *far* superior fighter." the doppleganger scoffed as if Link was lowly scum.  
  
"Resemble me? Pah! If you have the superior fighting skills then I'm endowed with the *superior* good looks!" Link retorted, arching his sword in large, drawn loops. His wrist bent as the blade was spun, lazily testing the metal's weight and balance before gripping the hilt in satisfaction. The Shadow's jib had no affect on Link, but Shadow Link was enraged at Link's words.  
  
Foolishly the Shadow charged Link, his sword poised for the final attack. With the advantages of speed and height on horseback, Link calmly deflected the onslaught.  
  
"Link! There are too many of them. We can't hold 'em back much longer." Atrius, the gallant Zora, stated. Some cream-mint colored scales on his webbed left had were had been knocked off due to a Lizalfos's sword. The Zora was shaken, and appeared to be on the brink of collapse.  
  
"Catch!" Link purposely tossed the bottled healing fairy at the ground near Atruis so the glass would shatter. Upon impact the fairy was released, soothing Atrius's wounds with her strong magic.   
  
"Thank you!" The Zora was restored.   
  
"Stay focused. Hold them off for a while longer." Link ordered, caught in heated conflict against the Shadow General. Navi and Shardae, the dark fairy, were locked in a combat of their own. Magic dust hisses and thres sparks as the two fairies sparred. Link knew he must kill Shadow Link soon. The lives of the Hylians depended on it.   
  
"Wait for Ganon in the Dark Realm. He'll share your fate soon." Determination illuminated Link's eyes as he raised his sword to strike down the Shadow.   
  
"Never!" The voice of Ganondorf Dragmire was so close Link couldn't believe it. Yes, Ganon was interfering in generals' feud. Riding a horse daunting as its owner, Ganon flung a bolt of dark energy at Link. Navi tried her best to weaken the magic, but the concentrated energy jolted through Link's Hylian shielf whic provided no protection from the powerful blasat. Every cell in Link's body resented the sensation, jarring him as he slumped over in pain. His partiallly melted sword dropped from his fingers, and all but one arrow tumbled from the quiver on his back. Link was stunned. Ganon was predictable in that he could not and would not fight with a single shred of honor. Magic was a trick Ganon used because he was too much of a coward to confront Link face to face.  
  
"Link!" Navi gasped, guilt racking her frail body. She watched in morbid fasciniation the myriad of emotions sweeping Link's face. Horror.   
Pain. Anger. Stubborness. Determination. Link's limbs couldn't move, he was immobolized by the spell. He whistled sharply signaling Epona to flee from danger.   
  
"Stay put!" Ganon snarled, raising an angry fist. Snaking flashes of blue light fanned his clenched fingers as he gathered a lethal amount of magic. He wound back his hand to hurl the fatal blow at Link's back. Almost a second too late a stealthy crossbow arrow pierced the rough flesh of the evil king's palm. The wooden, metal-tipped bolt caught his hand, causing Ganon's fierce rage to fizzle to oblivion.   
  
  
"What!?" Ganon's leathery face creased in disgust, his crimson eyes narrowed at his injured hand. "Who?!"  
  
"Yenrou." A figure clothed in a creased black robe announced to Ganon.  
The man's raven hair was a contradiction to his blanche complexion. The right side of the enigma's glossy locks trailed aross his pupiless ebony eyes in a sleek fall of hair. The other half was in spike disarray. A stellar-form tattoo encircled his right eye, giving the stranger a haunting appearance.   
  
"Yenrou..."The name rolled from Ganon's tongue as if searching for a special meaning. "Curse you!" he hissed, pushing the arrow cleanly from his hand.   
Shardae came to his comfort, effieceintly wrapping a thing strip of bandage cloth around the fresh wound. Who was he-the mysterious wild card dressed in the garb of an ancient Hylian? One thing was certain. He was Ganon's enemy.  
  
Link shook his head to gain his bearings. "Where are the three light fairies? I could really use aReflecting Shield about now. Ugh, why didn't I think of that sooner?" Link called to Navi. His only remaining weapon was the Fairy bow. "You up to another go around, girl?" Link patted Epona's neck, thankful Ganon's magic only struck him. The mare looked fit for anything. Advancing upon the shadow knight, Link readied an arrow from his quiver. In one fluid movement he drew back the bowstring and the last remaining arrow shot forth.   
  
"Oh no you don't, Missy!" Navi shook her head at Shardae, and cast and ice spell--her specialty--on the dark fairy. Shardae helplessly sunk to the ground as her wings became frozen, motionless in a chunk of ice. In vaini Shadow Link attempted to dodge the arrow. The brilliant light burnt his chest. The Shadow's "skin" buckled and melted into a distorted puddle shape.   
  
"You got him!" Cheered Navi.   
  
"Not quite..." Came Link's denial. "He's reforming! How can I stop him if he keeps coming back? This is insane. I don't think we can hold them off for much longer considering the only weapon I have is-" Link gazed desperately at the Fairy bow in his hand. What good is a bow without arrows? He smashed the wooden bow against the morphing Shadow Link. It splintered into a dozen pieces. "I don't have any weapons! We need to use to Triforce. Where are those three light fairies!?" Frustrated, Link adjusted the leather gauntlet hugging his wrists.   
  
"We don't *have* the Triforce, Link," the blue fairy whispered close to his ear, "Zelda had the Triforce hidden so it couldn't fall into the wrong hands..."  
  
"And you're telling me this just now?" Link replied in a stage whisper.  
  
"Yes, it was spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment-" her voice faded off.  
  
"But it was a wise decision. The people and kingdom are her firt priorities. We have to recover that Trifoce. First, I need a weapon!" he motioned to Ganon, who was preparing to uleash another fiery attack. "Yenrou!" Link called. "Thank you for helping me. I don't even know who you are..."  
  
"It's not important. I am not to be known," the enimga replied philosophically, "You have lost this battle, General, but not the war. Seek the Triforce and free that Sages if you hope to defeat Ganon and his army. Do this for the sake of Zelda, if not for all of Hyrule." Yenrou challenged. "Go!" Link opened his mouth to reply, but found himself alone in a dense thicket of ferns and mosses.   
  
"I know what I have to do. Now where do I start?" Link jumped out of Epona's saddle and rubbed the circulartion back to his cramped legs.   
  
"How about you finish it instead? We already have two of the three missing pieces." A perky, harmonious voice laughed.  
  
"Eneri! Saille! Ideboh! Where have you three been? The battle-" Link's words gushed like water from a fountain.   
  
"We were getting the Trifoce for you since we knew Ganon had no way of following us. Impa ordered us to..." Ideboh flickered shades of orange as he spoke. "One piece is left and then the Trifoce will be complete as it was before Ganon invaded."  
  
"Why can't I just use one part of the Triforce? One single piece turned Ganon insane and throw Hyrule for a whirl. All the terrible things that happened... My life is devoted to protecting Zelda and Hyrule, making sure nothing like that ever comes along again. Besides, I don't do magic." Link searched Epona's saddlebag. The only object he found was his ocarina.  
  
"You are *nothing* like Ganon! He was a greedty, corrupt man long before he came in contact with the Triforce of Power. He chose to use it for evil. He had a choice, just a you shall have," Saille explained, "Please, Link. You and Zelda are so afraid of repeating history you are condeming us to a new brand of despair. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it. Every good, living creature in Hyrule owes their life too you one way or another... And again our fates rest in your hands. It must appear unfair that one man should be put through such trials, but you are very special! Farore didn't make a mistake when she blessed you with the Triforce of Courage! She made a hero a legend." Link never in his life saw a fairy shed tears unless a great tragedy occured. It was an event so rare most men wouldn't witness the sight if they lived three lifetimes.   
  
"Awww, don't upset yourself. I'd never abandon anyone in need of help. What kind of knight would I be if I did?" Link smiled as Saille sat on the back of his hand. Her tears, drops of moonliight, plopped onto his knightly leather gauntlt. "Don't worry, Ganon will never know what hit him. Heh." Link, doing his best to be comforting, winked and offered the sleeve of his tunic for a hankerchief. The white fairy used the light blue material to daintly dab the corners of her eyes. "Now where did you say the last piece was?"   
  
"Er...right over there. See the tree?" Everi pointed in the direction of an entire grove of sturdy, ordinary oak trees.  
  
"I see a whole bunch of them, Eneri. Which one in particular?" Link queried, sparing Saille a watery smile. The fairies fell silent. "Something was scratched in the bark. The tree was born of magic, but it is no different than a *normal* tree..." Eneri pondered. Link let out a thoughtful breath.   
  
"Does anyone happen to have a Lens of Truth handy?"   
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
"What have you done to Link? Where is he, oh Master Yenrou!" Ganon's brow wrinkled in biting sarcasm. "Huh? Decided that if you can't save the kingdom you could at least save the knight, eh? Did Farore, Nayru, or Din send you to rile up trouble? FOOL! The taste of victory is sweet, and you are left   
to starve. Without Link, your army is useless. Stalfos, come! We ride to the Castle and to the awaiting Triforce." Ganon raised his bandaged hand as a signal. "General, I will deal with your disobediencec later. Dispose of this nusiance and your torture shall be less agonizing." A malicious grin cracked the evil king's weathered lips. The Hylian army offered no resistance as the horde of Stalfos, led by Ganon, stormed through the conquered drawbridge.   
  
The Shadow reformed to his original shape, but his crimson eyes lacked vitality. "Even if you destroy me, the forces of darkness will not win. You may think you are victorious, but you don't have the power to keep it." A slight breeze touched Yenrou, causing his flowing hair to obscure half of his pale face like a mask.  
  
"Hyule's army is a breath away from unquestioned defeat. Even if you destroy *me*, the forces of darkness *will* win." Shadow Link boasted though making no attempt to use hiis sword. "Ganon is insane. When my army prevails e will be exiled. He is too weak-minded to handle the Triforce. You and Link are the only obstacles blocking my patth to complete domination of Hyrule. Nothing stands in my way for long!" Shadow Link vowed.   
  
"That is the destiny you have chosen. Remember, nothing is written in stone." Yenrou's thin lips barely moved as he spoke. Bursting to life, the Shadow  
snatched a thin throwing knife kept cleverly from sight behind his shield.   
  
"I don't control fate--I tempt it!" The Shadow hissed asYenrou, the ancient Hylian, vanished. disappeared into thin air! "What!?"  
  
  
--------------------------------------   
  
"Is this what we're searching for?" The tree bark was rough under Link's curious fingertips. "It-it's a song," he studied the caarver's steady marks, "The...Fugue of Revel? I don''t remember it. Was it-"  
  
"It's a new song! A fine work of music too. I think you know how to handle this, Link." Navi twittered nervously.   
  
"Just like the good 'ol days." Link smirked and played the dynamic song on the ocarina. Curling green leaves fell, gliding from the tree's branches as it reacted to Link's patricular type pf wizardry. The loose leaves spun downward collecting in a tight spiral at the base of the tree, forming a famillar shape. Finally, the last piece of the Triforce was found! Link gingerly picked the newly discovered golden relic from the pile of enchanted leaves. "The Fugue of Revel? Did Zelda-?"   
  
"Possibly, Link. There is an evil king to vanquish! C'mon." Eneri hastened their departure.   
  
"I still need a weapon. An ocarina 'ain't gonna cut it." Link emphasized. The Triforce of Power emitted slight vibrations of limitless strength. Link studied the simple lines of the Triforce part resting in his mortal hands. Capable hands.   
  
"Din has a gift for you, Link. The Mercurio bow--forged from the fires which sculpted the land of Hyrule. Only you are stong enough to pull the bowstring." Proud admiration beamed from Ideboh. Saille flew to sit on Link's shoulder.  
  
"The bow, a meticulously crafted masterpiece, was the fabled creation of Din. Although she did not bless you with the Triforce of Power, she wants you to have this as a token of the Goddesses' trust in you." Saille spoke formally.  
  
"Niiiiice." Link commented, holding the mythological bow for approval. It was a long, slender bow composed of unmarred silver. The ends curved and were etched with the Triforce emblem. Beneath the usual Triforce was a mysterious symbol resembling an unattached fourth piece to the Triforce. Link recognized it from the decoration on his Hylian shield. A fourth piece?! But-  
  
"Your left gauntlet, Link, the one touched by my tears. Wearing this gauntlet you can move the heavens.. Trust me, one gauntlet is all you need. Wait 'til you see what you are capable of!" Saille smiled, Link's eyes widened.   
  
"Your tunic protects you from any stray magic attacks. We can get you a sword, but I'm afraid it will have to be an ordinary one. And I believe the shield you wanted was the Mirror shield? Yes, and quiver of arrows and a longshot. Is that everything??" Eneri questioned. Link blinked.   
  
"Yes! Uh, there is one problem. How do I use the Triforce? I don't *do* magic." Link frowned in apology.   
  
"You don't have to *do* magic, in other words, the Triforce can counter the dark forces and neutralize them so Hyrule has a fair chance in the fight... You'll have the Triforce's magic on your side, but we need Zelda to make the plan work." Eneri sighed sadly.   
  
"Zelda is stuck in a large crystal at the moment, Eneri. I don't know who or what Yenrou is, but I think he's some kind of ally." Caught in thought, Link closed his eyes. Maybe if he wished harder everything would return to normal. "There's an army I'm in charge of back there," he motioned in a vague direction, "And we're tromping through the woods just to find a Triforce I can't even use? Why don't we save ourselves the trouble of believing the good side always wins, h'mmm? *We lost*. That's the reason why I'm here, right? Sparing my fragile ego because the Hero of Time couldn't say something inspirational, smile charmingly, and come to the rescue of the villagers while defeating the villian and wooing the damsel in distress!" He spat venomously. "What kind of good am I doing? I'm getting back to Hyrule Castle with or without the damned Triforce! Even if I have to take on Ganon and his entire army by myself," his anger dwindled, "Please...Take the Triforce to Zelda and see if she will awaken. Tell her I loved her." An odd, prophetic gleam bewitched Link's glassy eyes.   
  
"Link, NO! What are you doing?!" Eneri shreiked as Link made a grab for Epona's reins. The mare backed away from the knight's grasp.   
  
"Sometimes people have violent reactions when they first come in contact with magic of large amounts. His body doesn't know how to react. He's confused. I'll cast a small sleep spell to calm him down." Saille advised as she sprinkled the savage knight with a trail of white sparkles. Link's lithe body slumped against a tree trunk, his fists lowered at his sides. Peace overcame him like a yawning breeze. "Nothing to worry about. He needs a few minutes to adjust... either that or he'll become a megalomaniac..." The fairies exchanged worried glances.   
  
"What are we going to do? Go back and try to salvage what's left of the Hylian army, or see if we can free Zelda? What about the Sages? Uh, Ganon can't do too much harm since we have the Triforce, right?. Do you think Yenrou-"   
  
"Was sent by Zelda. Sure, it explains a few questions." Link groaned as his head slouched on his shoulder. "I feel like a Dodongo tried to eat me for breakfast and wasn't in the mood for irrational knights. I guess I leave a bitter after taste..." Link drawled. "I'm fine. Sane as I ever was, if not a tad bit sarcastic. Since I'm not in any emotional state to make any *big* decisions, can somebody me what the heck is our next move? How 'bout we pay Zelda a visit and maybe she can help us free the other Sages." He shrugged, languidly tilting his head to the side. "Yenrou sent me here so I guess that scary guy with the black spiky hair and perfect anger management skills had a good reason for it. The army can't be completly hopeless without me. We lost because we weren't prepared. Nobody can win all the time. Losing builds...character...Sports-man-ship..." Link spoke slowly as if he had a mouthful of molasses. "Let's go to Zelda. We aren't losing *again*." He glanced at his left gauntlet as he spoke.  
  
  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
  
"Where is it!? What did she do to it!" Ganon snarled, stalking the corridor like a caged animal. His stately cape billowed ominously as he prowled. "Rip the castle apart! Tear it from the foundation if you have to." He grimaced as he spoke to the lead Stalfos. "NOW!" The Stalfos tripped in its hurry. The evil king was in a furious mood, and his minions knew not to test his lacking of patience.   
  
"Where is the General--Shadow Link. Has Yenrou finished him off, or has the General accomplished to do something I asked for once?" Ganon pondered, scowling. "I'm going to pay a personal visit and see if the Wolfos can find adequate room in the dungeon for the prisoners. But first, it's time to clear the battlefield of any ancient Hylian type annoyances..."  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
"This better work..." Link murmured meekly as the four fairies cleared away the mangle of vines cloaking Zelda. She was in the same condition as when they last left her. Dropping humbly to his knees and not caring if dirt smudged his tunic, Link palmed the Triforce, magically shrunk to pendant size, in his calloused hands. He held it out for Zelda as if presenting an offering. "See, Zelda? It's the Triforce--safe but not yet resting in the right hands. Hyrule needs you, Zelda, I need you. This has been one 'sine junno' of an adventure, " he carelessly mixed languages, "I came close to becoming the *former* Hero of Time more than twice...Stubborn Epona and Navi survived being lost in the Gerudo Desert!" Link set the Triforce on the thick, cushion-like grass. The King made me General of the armies of Hyrule. Me! General... I still can't believe any of this is real. I keep expecting to wake up and find everything was a dream. But what a dream!" Though his words were humorous, tears stung his eyes. "Some sort of good has to come from this mad mess. I don't want our hardships to be in vain!" Frustrated, Link flexed his fingers. Tension acentuated the symmetry of the muscles,tendons, and intricate bones of his hand."Zelda, wake.....UP!" Striking the prism with an open palm, Link felt the crystal quiver upon impact, then explode. In slow motion,silver glitter rained from the sky in a dazzling shower. It clutched to Link's tunic and bangs, but his senses were acute. Reacting to instinct, Link caught Zelda in his arms as she began to fall.   
Zelda blinked like a child waking from a depthless sleep, glitter clung to her curling eyelashes as her face upturned to Link.   
  
"I love you, even if you are only a dream." She sighed, gingerly brushing stray sparkles from his whisping bangs. The figment of her imagination looked and even felt like the Link she knew. But he was different...Any akward signs of brash youth were replaced by confidence and courageous acceptance. Like pages in a book torn out and re-written, Zelda recalled her words and smiled. "Link?" He kissed her softly, his lips barely touched her own. "You're really Link, aren't you? I'm not dreaming?"   
  
"One in the same. You won't believe what's happened since you... Er, Ganon invaded, and the Hylians lost. I bet Ganon is going green in the face scrambling to find the Trifoce. Sorry, that's not exactly the kind of talk that sweeps girls off their feet..." He apologized, swinging Zelda to her feet. His arms were still holding her tightly. "But if it helps, I think you're beautiful. And wise. How did you send Yenrou to help in the battle? The mystery fellow saved my life, and I wanted to thank him again--"  
  
"I'm Yenrou."  
  
"What?" Link gasped, starting at Zelda's fragile, feminine cheekbones and pink lips curved into a small grin.   
  
"When I was in the prism, my mind was on a higher level, magically speaking. Yenrou was me in a sense, but only the outward appearance I chose to take. Understand? It was like being trapped in a dream. I was Zelda, but masquerading as Yenrou. I guess we all have a bit of warrior in our blood, so it took me longer to find the part of me able to fight Ganon-Yenrou." Zelda whispered, hugging Link fiercely, and not wanting to let go. Link nuzzled his chin against her silky hair, stroking her flushed cheek. Zelda stepped back. "I thought you were dead! Don't you *ever* scare me like that again, or I'll kill you myself!" She punched Link's arm knowing he wouldn't feel any more discomfort than if a fly landed on his sleeve.   
  
"I love you too! How can I say no to a lady who saved my life?" Caring warmth softened his face, fading to seriousness. "I never want to see you as sad as you were...when you...put yourself in the prism. We're a tragedy waiting to happen." He whistled wistfully, the bad memories momentarily eclisped by happiness, "So then you know what a wreck Hyrule is? I think we can save it if you use the Triforce against Ganon. And the other Sages are still captured-" Link didn't stop to breathe, his sentences scrambled together in one prolonged breath.  
  
"Ahem...Hi, don't mind us, but we were wondering when exactly would be the right time to rescue the Sages? They're in the dungeon of the Gerudo Valley fortress..." Ideboh interupted the romantic scene. He was one onlooker of the silent five-party audience. Link coughed loudly and Zelda blushed.   
  
"Thank you for taking care of Link.," Zelda, regal when she was at ease, turned to the four fairies and smiled, "And Epona, too." She affectionatly scratched behind the mare's ears. "We need to reach the Sages immediately. It's time to put my powers, and the Triforce's too work." Zelda crinkled her nose in thought and raised her small hands until they were waist level. She glowed a faint pink aura as her concentration grew. Magnus, her beloved stallion, appeared magically in the thicket. Link whistled. "We have to leave now. What about the Triforce? It's too obvious, it's too large to carry..."  
  
"Not since the fairies shrunk it down to pendant size." Link placed the gold chain, complete with the miniature version of the Triforce, around Zelda's neck.   
  
"I'm impressed..."The Princess chimed.   
  
  
----------------------------  
  
-Later-  
  
"So,who says Ganon is going to stay in exile if we vanquish him to the Dark Realm again? He could come back. It happened once..." Ruto shook her head desparingly.   
  
"You're mistaken. Ganon no longer has a source to supply his strength. What little magic he has left is a faint trace of the power he wielded using the Triforce of Power... He is insane! In his obsession with the Triforce, Ganon does not realize he isn't the nearly-invinicible foe he was in the past..." Zelda straightened her shoulder's, and held her chin high under the Sages' scrutiny.   
  
"Leave that part to me," Link spun an arrow in his fingers like a windmill, focusing his hand rather than the group of Sages watching him, "We have Zelda, we have the Triforce, and now at last we have the Sages. What more could a kingdom need?" He replied lightly. "The basic plan I'm suggesting is to storm the castle, rescue our army, beat the bad guys, and exile the old Gerudo once and for all. Any questions?" He blinked.  
  
"Yes, how long did it take you to create that detailed plan?" Nabooru, the Gerudo thief, crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"More than you think! Everyone pay close attention..." Link rolled the arrow a final spin then hunched to his knees. "This," he poked the arrowhead into the fine sand, making a small indent, "Is Hyrule Castle..."  
  
----------------------------  
  
  
"Now, stay here and stay out of trouble. You can't be spotted in this part of the meadow from the castle, there are too many trees in the way, " Link schooled, taking the long black cape offered by Zelda, "Thank you." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise. If anything happens to me  
I want you all to use your common sense. Don't go rushing off to do anything foolish, I'm speaking from experience here..." He smirked at the circle of Sages   
seated in a circle aroud the luminous light of the three fairies."If you need help, don't hesitate to call." Slipping the forgotten ocarina from her sachel, Zelda presented it to Link. Nodding, Link's hand clasp over her's.  
  
-------  
  
"How are you getting over the castle wall? The drawbridge is up, and I'm the only one of us who can fly." Navi fidgeted from her hiding place in Link's quiver bag.   
  
"Be quiet and hold on tight." Link replied, aiming the longshot at an abandoned wooden guard tower standing on top of the frighteningly tall wall.  
The chained barb sprung with a sound softer than the hum of a dragonfly's wings. The metal barb lodged into the wood, instantly pulling Link fo the tower like a toy on a string. Landing agily, Link pryed the barb from the boards, and returned the longshot to his belt.   
  
"Wow! Link that was--"  
  
"Shhhh." He chided, lowering himself onto a tree limb as if he was climbing down a ladder. "You don't want us to get---" The toe of his boot wedged between a branch and a knot in the tree limb. Link stumble blindly then teetered on the edge of what was a long fall down.   
  
"Link!" Navi cried as the steadfast knight reeled into a clump of bushes below.   
  
"Pride goeth before a fall..." Link whispered, brushing off the leaves clinging to his cape and tunic. "I don't think I'll be going mountain climbing very soon. With my luck..." He shuddered, searching for the secret passage which would take him inside the castle.  
  
------  
  
The dungeon. A dank maze buried in the cruelest of underground recesses. The air was heavy, and difficult to breathe. Sparsely lit tourches guided Link through the labyrinth of metal cells, and suffocating stone walls.  
He tread lightly, bow and arrow in hand, prepared to confront any faceless dangers waiting ahead. The muffle of distant voices caught his attention. Was he nearing the Hylian army? Rounding a sharp corner, Link squinted, then crouched low to the floor. In the dim glow of a single flickering torch, Link noticed two Stalfos guards on watch. The older skeleton wore an coarse wool hooded cloak which hid his features. The younger of the two paced anxiously, occasionally clanking his spear against rows of metal bars to rattle the prisoners' nerves.   
  
"Silence!" The young Stalfos growled, jabbing at one of the prisoners with the pointed end of his spear. Seizing his chance, Link flung a dusting of magic powder on an arrowhead, and cast the lightarrow at the small torch. The flame was snuffed upon impact, bathing the narrow passageway in total darkness.   
Chaos ensued. The grating of metal meeting bone, the scuffling of feet, and rustle of clothing left hearing as the only useful sense. A low pitched scream penetrated through the hustle, as did a shriek of terror. Aroused, the Hylian prisoners shouted, and rattled the bars of their cells. The cacaphony was deafening.   
  
"What's going on here!? Guards!" A quartet of Stalfos rushed to investigate the disturbance as a husky voice shouted.  
  
"Silence!" The old Stalfos guard resurected the torch flame, easing onto the creaky wooden bench. He shook with the unsteadiness of age. The younger Stalfos stood leaning against the opposite wall, barely visible in the shadows. "Had ta settle um down." The old Stalfos rasped, tapping his spear as he chuckled hoarsely. The skeleton warriors guffawed, patting the elder's hunched back.   
  
"Good, eh? Prisoners need good scare." The leader of the four Stalfos spoke in broken sentences, a sign of its inferior intelligence. "All is well. Stay and keep watching." Seeing nothing was out of place, the old and young guard were left to their business.   
  
"Good, eh?" The old Stalfos mocked in a voice less prickly than before. A gauntleted hand pushed back the hood from his youthful Kokirian face framed by golden whisps of hair escaping from his thick braid. "Shhhhh. Don't cause a commotion. And don't move from your cells once I unlock the doors." He whispered, quieting the wave of excitement rippling among the prisoners. Grasping the haggard masterkey, he adavanced from one cell to the next freeing the Hylian soldiers, each greeting Link with subdued notes of thankful praise.   
  
"We have to get everyone out of here, preferably undetected first." Link replied as the young Stalfos guard slouched against the wall tipped over sideways. It thudded to the stone floor, breaking in half where it had be cut by Link's blade.   
  
"I'm not arguing, Link!" The Zora chuckled in amazement.   
  
"Where is Melita?"  
  
"To your right, General ."   
  
"Okay, troops. Making as little noise as you can, we're going to line you up single file, and get you out of here. Follow me, and don't make any noise! Including you, Navi." Link nudged his arrow quiver, receiving an indignant 'hmph' from inside. Chances were, not all of the soldiers head the announcement, so Link sent Atrius and Melita to spread the word further down the endless corridor.  
  
  
------  
  
"How long will it be until they realize the army is gone?" Rauru, the robust Sage of Light, chuckled as he sipped warm herbal tea from a crude earthenware mug.   
  
"Who knows. Can you picture Ganon's face when he *does* realize no one is there!" Saria giggled.   
  
Link, Zelda, and the Sages relaxed around one of many campfires blazing in the forlorn shelter of the legendary Dodongo's Cavern. The army settled comfortablty, enjoying the tea and fruits gathered by the children of Kokiri Forest. The young Kokiri dared not to leave their small world to see what existed beyond the woods, but insisted on aiding the Princess and their homeland.   
  
"We don't want Ganon coming after us too soon, even though we're virtually invisible. This *is* the middle of a mountain." Link shrugged a shoulder as Zelda nestled closer to his side. "Just in case, a couple of our troops are keeping watch outside, and on the mountain. They can see Kakariko Village, and anything else coming that way if it does." He yawned, the events of the day finally taking their toll.   
  
"Rest, Brother. You won't be any good to us if you fall asleep on the battlefield..."  
Dariuna nibbled a flint stone, the equivolent of a Goron after-dinner mint.   
  
"Battlefield?" Link rubbed his weary eyes. "Don't remind me. I wish the troops were fully rested before we fight again at dawn. Melita, Atrius, and T'Ven agree to strike at first light. We can't hide forever, and the troops are chomping at the bit to take back the kingdom."   
  
"I know the feeling! Tomorrow will be the final showdown...I can sense it." Zelda playfully tugged Link's braid, causing stray golden hairs to escape the entertwining length. "I'm not afraid. In fact, I'll be on the battlefield with the army-"  
  
"You're what!? Nononono," Link shook his head animatedly, "You are not stepping a foot near danger. I don't care if you're a princess, I'll tie you up myself!" He snorted, daring her to protest.   
  
"Oh really!" Zelda laughed haughtily. "I'd like to see you try!" . Her smugness fell as Link leaned closer until they met nose-to-nose. Instintively Zelda backed away, but his hands held her shoulders firmly fixed in place.  
  
"Yes to both. Can we argue someplace a bit more private?" He motioned to the Sages, who watched the scene as if it was a theatre production.   
  
"Private? Link, we're in a cave surrounded by more than five thousand troops. Most of them are asleep, but still..." Zelda inhaled a deep breath.   
  
"Give us a minute will ya? We'll be right back." He smiled diplomatically at the Sages, and took Zelda's hand in his. He helped her to her feet, leading her to a bare patch of space just beyond the Sage's earshot if they whispered. Truely, the slumbering bodies of soldiers spread far and wide in the cavern. Some even snored, Zelda noticed.   
  
"You can't be directly on the battlefield, Zelda. I've told the Sages to keep a safe distance away, and I am telling you now. You can be near the battle so you can use the Triforce, but ..."  
  
"But? But you can't be part of a war deciding the fate of your kingdom? Link! That's asking too much. I'm not a glass vase you can set in a cupboard for safekeeping.   
You can't shield me from every bruise and scrape-"  
  
"Or from every sword, arrow, and monster bent on killing you. Zelda, you'd be nothing but a moving target! If something bad would happen, Hyrule would be missing a princess, a wise leader, and the prettiest smile I've ever seen." The corner of Link's lips curled in a ghost of a smile.  
  
"You charmer. I guess you have a point there. About the moving target that is ... I guess I would call alot of unwanted attention onto myself uless I appeared as Yenrou." Link could see the thought processing through Zelda's mind.   
  
"No. No shape, form, or disguise. I meant what I said. I'll bind and gag you, and Navi will make sure you don't escape.   
  
"Now you know how I feel *evey single time* you rush off to battle. I don't have a clue if you'll return to me, or if you'll be hurt... I know you are a grown man, Link, and I am acting like an overprotective nursemaid, however, I still worry about you. Probably too much, but too much is never enough, is it?" She whispered. "I know you're destined for greatness. I'm just praying you're here to enjoy it."   
  
"So you won't go charging in with banners waving and temper flaring?" His eyebrows arched.   
  
"Yes, I promise on one condition."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Don't fall down any more wells."   
  
----------------------------  
  
"Let me explain this once more. Sages--Zelda included--are to stay far from Ganon and the shadow General. No scuffling whatsoever. It is an honorable notion, but Hyrule can't afford the loss of even one of you." Link lectured the Sages. They rode in a row on horseback, Link squarely in the middle. " With Eneri, Ideboh, and Saille keeping an eye on you I don't think we have anything to worry about."   
  
"Ha! I'm a bundle of nerves." Jemma, Saria's guardian fairy, whispered skittishly. Saria smiled at her honesty.  
  
"Me too. I've never really ventured from Kokiri Forest. Hyrule is a such big place for someone as small as I am." She tucked a stray lock of emerald green hair behind an pointed elfin ear.   
  
"Then you'll have to visit the Zora Domain. It's the most beautiful...er... I mean, it is a beautiful kingdom. You'd love it." Ruto blushed a darker shade of aquamarine.   
  
"Brother Link, will you fight Ganon alone?". Link stared at his powerful left hand grasping Epona's reins before meeting Dariuna's questioning side-glance.   
  
"Yes." Link barely recognized his cooly detached voice. He pulled a stoic façade, engrossed in intense reflection and meditation. His eyes were open, but he saw nothing. He prepared mentally as well as physically for the confrontation against good and evil.Good and evil? It was simple as that nowadays.   
  
"They're waiting for us..." Melita uttered, aghast, as Ganon's entire army came into sight.   
  
"I've been waiting twenty one years..." Link mumbled to himself. "Sages, feel free to move to the back of the army now. Follow the three light fairies. Good," He turned his attention to Atrius,"I think rematch is rearing its ugly head. We're prepared...Well, at least I am."  
  
"By the Goddesses I hope so." Atrius added.   
  
-------  
  
"General, if you are even considering pulling the stunt you did last time, don't press your luck. I only tolerate failure once." Ganon sneered, non chalantly drawing his sword from the hilt. "Advance on my signal..." Ganondorf barked. Gathering the reins, he raised his sword high in the air. He sliced his sword downward--the signal to strike.   
  
The armies crashed together like immense waves breaking upon a shore.  
The Hylian soldiers, fired by their will to reclaim the land, fought hard and passionately. Link felt a sudden panic of deja vu. He had faith in the Hylian's abilities, and Zelda's. The Princess sat serenely in the saddle of Magnus, pressing the pendent-sized Triforce to her bowed forehead. She chanted the spells of the ancient Hylians, unlocking the mastery of the magic.  
  
"Zelda, now!" Link stabbed an oncoming Wolfos. She nodded silently.   
A triad of three colors escaped from the sacred Triforce. Like a plague the radiant veins lashed across the sky, dancing in streaks of red, blue, and green.  
Enemies unfortunate to be touched by the scarlet light were burnt to dust where they stood. The aquamarine flecks of light transformed the affected enemies into statues of pure, virgin ice, as the emerald green streak chaged enemies to statue stone. Fire, water, and earth--the three marks of the Goddesses. The only two remaining foes were Ganon and Shadow Link.  
  
"Curse you!" Ganondorf growled, spitting furiously. Shadow Link remained suspiciously relaxed and silent.   
  
"It's over, Ganon." Link's voice held no trace of boastfulness or conceit. Epona snorted as if mocking the defeated Gerudo King. Link patted her neck to calm her. The Sages filtered through the crowd to surround Ganon and Shadow Link, trapping them like rats.   
  
"You've caused so much pain and suffering...You evil man." Tears of pity and compassion trickled salty trails down Saria's elfin cheeks. Her face was that of an eternal child, the truthful features of untainted innocence.   
  
"My dear girl, you don't know the half of it!" Ganon cackled, tossing back his head in a fit of maddness. His eyes blazed wildly.   
  
"Saria! Watch out!" Navi shouted as the Gerudo king hurled a magical gust of wind at Saria. The gust lifted Saria from the saddle like a giant hand palming a pebble. "No!" Tension spread amongst the crowd as Saria fell into Ganon's sinister arms.   
  
-----  
  
"Saria!" Jemma cried. Shardae, the dark fairy, struck the guardian fairy with a lightening spell. Ideboh caught Jemma in his tiny orange arms. "Ideboh..."  
She grinned weakly.   
  
"You little...Ergh! I'm gonna pluck your wings!!!" Eneri erupted, casting a special spell. A veil of white bubbles spun Shardae in a cyclone until a single black flower dropped to the ground, and took root in the earth.   
  
"You turned her into a violet! How poetic!" Saille exclaimed.  
  
-----  
  
"Coward!" Link croaked, his bow armed and aimed directly at Ganondorf's forehead. "Let...her...go." He ground out between clenched teeth.  
"Stay back!" He kept the Hylian soldiers at bay.   
  
"Such a pretty little Sage, aren't you?" Calloused fingertips barely brushed Saria's mint-tinted cheek. "If you were gone, it would be impossible send me to the Sacred Realm. Do you know how important you are? You should feel priveledged to be chosen to die. Think of it as a sacrifice for Hyrule." Ganon shrugged, bored. "Move a muscle, fairy boy, and I'll fulfill my promise sooner than planned." His fingers yanked her hair roughly.  
  
"Let her go."  
  
"Do Kokiri bleed red blood?" A sword pressed closely against Saria's soft neck. His heart twisted for his frightened friend.  
  
"Take my life instead." He bartered.  
  
"No, I have something Ganon wants even more!" In a dark blur of movement and flash of metal, Shadow Link cut Ganon's bandaged hand with his sword, and snatched Saria from the Gerudo's grasp.  
  
"You fool!" Ganon squalled, shaking the injured hand.   
  
"I clipped your wing, *Your Highness*" the Shadow General scoffed sarcastically. "I may not be on the winning side, but your defeat is sweeter than any victory!" Saria gawked at Shadow Link in a mild state of shock. As she fainted, his demonic eyes softened. Jemma landed on his shoulder,but he pretended not to notice.  
  
"Wrong, General." A chuckle rumble from Ganon's throat. Calder, his black stallion, pawed the ground in aggitation. In a blinding burst of light, Ganon summoned the last of his conjuring powers. Link and the Sages averted their eyes from the bright flare. A magnificent pair of feathered wings sprouted from Calder's back. He bucked then rose into the sky at Ganon's command.  
  
"Kinoa rori dequano tah!" Link blurted. Ganon was escaping! Higher and higher horse and rider flew, moving fast and further away each passing second. "Out of my way! MOVE!" The mass of troops divided to form a narrow path for Link's breakout.   
  
"Hurry, Link!" Navi cried, "Catch him!" Wind howled past Link's ears.   
His eyes watered, and his hair was blown in every direction imaginable. Epona raced across the wide, grassy plain, her joints and poweful legs in motion like the gears of a windmill. Link's spirit lifted his chest, willing her to fly on her own terms.   
  
"I can't use my bow, or we'll use speed. Tell me again how I can use this gauntlet?" Link had difficulty speaking into the wind.   
  
"We don't know how exactly!" Ideboh exclaimed.   
  
"What!? Why not!"   
  
"Not everything can be easy for you."  
  
"Easy! Go get the Sages to follow me. Go!" He sputtered, then concentrated on the fleeing Gerudo king dashing through the sky twenty feet ahead of him. Epona was fleet of foot, but   
chasing after Ganon would be in vain unless... Unless he could knock Ganon from the saddle or ...**Move the heavens...** He whispered to himself. "Move...the...heavens..." Link repeated aloud. He gripped the reins singlehandedly, reaching out his left gauntleted hand. His fingers stretched forward, attempting to touch an object out of reach. He visualized wielding the   
cosmos-- holding stars and shifting the heavens from their orbit.   
  
Balling his fist, he lashed out the repressed energy. A shockwave rioted the sky like a ripple of water in a pond. The small ripples grew to large waves--directly heading for Ganon. Caught in the shockwave, Calder faltered. Frantically Ganon tugged the reins to steady the horse, but the beast acted like a started chicken. Feathers scuttled from its wings, and it struggled to keep airborne. Ganon fell from the saddle as Calder tripped, and tumbled to the ground. Link wondered if the horse was hurt.  
  
"Curse you. Curse your mother and father for ever falling in love and giving birth to you!" Ganon spat, clutching his injured hand, his shoulders were   
slouched in an attempt to disguise the pains shooting through his bruised body.  
He had no weapons, and his magic was used completely. "Send me to the Sacred Realm, you've won. I sadly admit defeat. I am at your mercy, General." Ganon bowed grandly. Unease gripped Link's stomach. Epona snorted in agreement.   
  
"I can't trust you. Your word means nothing to me. I'm only here to keep you from running away again. The Sages will take care of you in a minute or so." Link replied coldly, arming the Mercurio bow.   
  
"You can't get rid of me that easily, boy. I am Gandorf Dragmire... A practical demi-god.I am all powerful!" Link was quiet. "Then let me show you just *how* powerful!" A black orb materialized in Ganon's uninjured hand. The glassy shpere was the size of a pouch of deku nuts. "This, my boy, is my last  
bit of magic. I think you'll enjoy going out with a bang, or a boom. I'm not quite sure how you'd sound if you were to explode. The explosion would take half of Hyrule with you. Of course the magic can't harm me... Life is unfair sometimes,huh? " His face grew uglier with raw hatred. "You can't stop me!" He growled, rotating his arm to throw the black orb at Link.   
  
Staring into the coal-red eyes of an insane maniac, Link's decision took less than a bat of an eyelash to make. Drawing back the bowstring with   
unsurpassably quickness, he felt the arrow leave his fingers, and heard the metal pierce the target...  
  
"Link!" Navi cried, catching the energy orb as it slipped from Ganon's limp fingers.   
  
"Link!" Zelda ran to his side, followed by the other Sages. "Did you...Is he dead?" He could only nod numbly.   
  
"No! Don't leave me!" A small voice sobbed uncontrollably. The shrill cry came from Saria. Shadow Link staggered then collapsed at her feet. She   
kneeled at his side, running her hands along his chest to stimulate breathing. "You saved my life. I don't know why you did it, but ... You did." She   
smiled faintly through her tears.   
  
"Ganon created me. Now that he is...gone...it is only a short while before I'm only a memoy. Don't cry for me, Saria, I chose my own fate." Shadow Link replied weakly, his health fading. For the first time in his life, a smile formed on the lips of the shadow. He closed his eyes and breathed his last--the peaceful smile etched across his lips.   
  
"Link-"   
  
"Zelda-" He drew her into his arms, drowning in the sensation of her warm body next to his . Neither could believe it. The sacrifices, the scars ... The tears, the laughter... The destruction of a land , the reconditioning of Hyrule... Everything. And they were left to pick up the pieces of the aftermath. "I love you." Link kissed her until they both were breathless.   
  
"I love you." Zelda's tears mingled with Link's as their damp cheeks met, he held her as if holding a moonbeam in his arms, his face glowing like the sun.  
  
  
  
The End  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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